Twenty-one-year-old Guyanese Korey Chisholm beat over 200 international applicants to win the only UNAIDS Fellowship on offer.

Chisholm was selected to participate in the six-month UNAIDS Special Youth Programme at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and three months attached to its Country Office in Guyana. Chisholm has already started his internship with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

According to a press release UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Guyana and Suriname Dr Ruben del Prado said he is delighted that a young person was selected from a country that oftentimes escapes the recognition it deserves. He said Guyana is experiencing an unstoppable momentum of consolidated efforts in the HIV response, by government, civil society and development partners, leading the way towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in the Caribbean. “Korey’s selection out of many,” he says, “from choices all over the world – speaks of the excellence that is present in Guyana, and is at the same time very motivational for our entire Region.”

UNAIDS said Chisholm will be in Geneva until December month end working on issues related to youth and HIV at the global level. He will also attend the 17th International AIDS Conference that will be hosted in Mexico City from August 3 to 8 where he is expected to give a presentation on youth and HIV in the Caribbean with a special focus on Guyana. During the fellowship Chisholm will be offered various training opportunities to build his capacity as a leader in the AIDS response. He has already indicated that his primary interest will be to help develop and support innovative programmes related to youth and HIV, the release said.